The third road matchup was the charm for Hillcrest, as they earned their first away win of the season. They secured a 46-42 W over the Paloma Valley Wildcats on Thursday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Trojans as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Matthew Ramos
| 09/18/25 @ Paloma Valley | 108 |
| 09/11/25 vs Temecula Valley | 6 |
| 09/05/25 @ Ramona | 20 |
| 08/28/25 @ Santiago | 33 |
| 08/22/25 vs Corona | 12 |
| + 6 more games |
Leading Hillcrest to victory were Matthew Ramos and Reyez Ortiz. Ramos rushed for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Ortiz rushed for 165 yards and two scores. That's the most rushing yards Ramos has posted since back in August of 2024.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hillcrest was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 276 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Another reason for the win was Hillcrest's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jayden Nieto, Juan Julian Luevano, and Hudson Nguyen, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Paloma Valley's side was Nieto, who picked up a sack, forced two fumbles, and made four total tackles.
When it comes to explaining why Paloma Valley lost, don't look at Orlando Gonzalez. Despite the final result, he threw for 384 yards and five TDs. With that strong performance, Gonzalez is now averaging an impressive 3.2 passing touchdowns per game. Noah Davis also helped out as he racked up 151 receiving yards.
The win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-3. As for Paloma Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. After each having a week off, Hillcrest and Arlington will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on October 3. The Trojans will be up against the Lions' rather soft defense (which has allowed 33.6 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Paloma Valley, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Orange Vista at 7:00 p.m. on October 3. This will be the Wildcats' first chance to prove their worth in the conference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
